present day (2025): repair and renewal After a period of time inconsequential in geological terms but significant in human terms, Easdale bears the scars of its industrial past while having become revived by nature in the way that landscapes left fallow are prone to become. The seven quarries are now pools, two of which are tidal. All enjoy sufficient shelter that gives rise to a rich variety of wildlife. The flora of Easdale and the other Slate Islands has been described in a dedicated book by C.W. Muirhead and even celebrated in a set of illustrated postage stamps. A wide range of sea birds can be spotted, as well as eagles, buzzards and peregrine falcons. Such favourable conditions are not just attractive to wildlife. Humans too have gradually returned to the island. Alighting the ferry, one is greeted by the somewhat surreal sight of dozens of upturned wheelbarrows. On an island with no cars or roads, these are the only way for residents to transport things around the island. Day-trippers meanwhile are attracted not only by the flora and fauna, but also by the location and unique character. The water in the quarry pools is a bright blue due to their depth or to the presence of mineral particles suspended in the water affecting the way light is scattered. Either way, they appeal to swimmers, snorkellers and free-divers. The excavated topography means these pools remain calm even when the Atlantic Ocean a stone’s throw away is a churning mass. And on the matter of throwing stones, for the past thirty years Easdale has hosted the World Stone Skimming Championships. Spoil, stones rejected by the quarriers, and slate chips disposed around the island by industry and nature have been subjected to well over a century of erosion by wave action. These flat stones, now with softened edges, are ideal for skimming impressive or, for some, less than impressive distances across the still bodies of water contained within the old quarries. The spectacle is enjoyed each year by several hundred spectators from vantage points around the edges in these post-industrial accidental amphitheatres. The victors of this fiercely fought competition win medals made, of course, from Easdale Slate.
Integrated transport system, the wheelbarrow parking lot at the ferry
Oystercatcher, lichen and common scurvy grass
Tim Ingleby
Quarry pool
37 on site review 46 :: travel
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